Extinguishing the Fire
by Anyanka of the Ocean
Summary: Buffy Summers confronts her demons, and has to decide whether to welcome them back into her heart, or turn on them like what was done to her.


Disclaimer:I don't own any of it.

Spoilers: Empty Places in Season 7

A/N- Hey guys. This is a one-shot, so I'm not continuing it. Enjoy.

_**ExtinguishingThe Fire.**_

"_Oh my god," _was the only thought in her head. She was not ready for this, she couldn't face them. Not yet. But amazingly enough, here she was, exactly a year after she had left. They didn't need her. She was kidding herself if she had thought she could stay with them after what they had done.

They had betrayed her. They had stripped her self-esteem, taken what trust she had in them and thrown into the black oblivion where it could not be returned.

And now, she was about to face them again.

How crazy was she?

A blasting horn brought her back to an abrupt stop in a four-lane traffic jam in the busy streets of Cleveland. She jerked her head to her rear-view mirror and saw a middle-aged man in a business suit simultaneously talking into his cell phone, honking his horn at her, and managing to give her a death glare that would have made Spike proud.

Buffy winced.

Thinking about Spike was painful, even a year after he had died, for the third time. She was well aware of what had happened in Los Angeles, and was furious that Angel had not told her. They had had quite a few 'words' when she had showed up on the doorsteps of Wolfram & Heart. Buffy remembered the memory with a grim expression and knuckles turned white because of the strength of which Buffy now clutched the steering wheel.

Many words had been shouted on both accounts. Not of the good.

But it was too late. Spike had been gone for the final time for over a fortnight by the time Buffy had realized what was happening. He had fulfilled his destiny on this plane, and had set out to embark on his next journey.

Buffy forced the thought of LA out of her head and focused on driving. Only in the past year had she come to the conclusion that she needed to learn how to drive to get around now that she didn't have the Scoobies to beg rides off of.

She still couldn't believe she had come here.

She didn't even know why they had asked her to come. She had not heard from any of them until three days ago when she was just getting home from her nightly patrol. Her cell had rung; she had picked it up, held it to her ear, and said, "Buffy."

The minute she recognized the voice, she was thrown back into her past into a jumble of memories she hated.

It had been Giles. He had asked her to come as soon as possible to Cleveland. He gave no explanation. He didn't ask how she was doing. He has simply told her they needed her. There had been a raw emotion in his voice that told Buffy he didn't want to be making this call, for her sake has much as his, but something was forcing him.

Buffy had forced her voice to be cold, emotionless, and calculating as he answered him, "I'll be there in four days."

Buffy sighed. She has packed enough clothes for a week, caught a cab to the airport, and taken the first flight over. When she had reached the states from Spain, she had rented a car and tackled the job of navigating through the streets to the address Giles had given her.

The stoplight flicked to green. Buffy was turning left; the man behind her was going straight. The second before it would have been too late, she took the opportunity and flipped the man off. She allowed herself a grin. "_Gotta love the yuppies._"

Over the past year, Buffy had changed.

She was still the flippant, arrogant, stylish young woman she has always been, but she gained another way of life.

She was fearless. She wasn't scared of anything. She has nothing to lose that she wouldn't lament being lost. She was what the council had always wanted her to be.

Alone.

She knew as much as she had always, and always would, hate the council, they hadn't always been wrong in some of the things they had tried to enforce. It was just the WAY they reinforced these issues that Buffy had fought against.

When the Watcher's Council had been destroyed, one of the few surviving members had offered her the job of rebuilding it, and taking over when the task had been completed. Buffy had refused. Being the council's "rogue slayer" was a job she had dropped a year ago. She had contact with no one from her past life. She had chosen a new road in life.

Christopher Bothwell was a part of that life. More commonly knows as Kit to those close to him.

She was now blocks from the address.

She pulled into a parking lot, killed the engine, and sat for a full minute, simply contemplating what her life would be like if she carried through with this.

Buffy stepped out the car, decked out in black leather pants, and a maroon beaded tunic. She grabbed her leather jacket, and her bag. She pressed the lock mechanism on her key chain, and heard the click which told her her car was now safe from thieves. The interior, anyways. Her slipped her sunglasses down over her eyes, and became just another person cruising the sidewalks of Cleveland, Ohio.

Buffy stood in from of the apartment. Her hand raised itself involuntarily into a fist, and it waited, inches from the door for the command to knock. It wasn't needed.

The door swung open, and Giles stood there. He looked terrible. Buffy took a kind of savage triumph in this. She could see Willow, Xander, and Faith behind him. Giles stepped away from the door, beckoning her to come in. Buffy stepped inside, looking coldly around.

They were all there. Something big was up. Robin was holding Faith's hand, as Buffy could now see. Dawn was in the kitchen, and her face lit up when she saw Buffy. All the potential Slayers were there, too. At least the few that had survived. After the final battle, for reason unknown to Willow, the power that had been given to the girls had been taken away again. The only person missing was Andrew.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

No one looked at her.

"Am I the first person you asked for help?"

A general chorus of yeses filled the room. Buffy scoffed.

Everyone looked at her.

Dawn started forward, heading toward Buffy. Buffy stepped back from her embrace.

Dawn's face contorted with confusion. "Buffy, I'm your sister."

"I don't have a sister."

"How can you say that!?" Xander exclaimed.

"Because I can," Buffy said, clearly and without remorse, "And because it's true."

Dawn gasped.

Buffy looked at all of them. She knew she was ready. She was ready the lead the life that was waiting for her. Her memories drifted back to that faithful night over a year ago. She knew what to say. Buffy felt no remorse for what she was about to do. After all, Angel and the Fang Gang would help them out.

"I didn't come here to take anything away from you, but I'm not gonna be your little lapdog, either. I came here to beat the other guy, to do right, however it works. I don't know if I can lead. But the real question is...can you follow?" Buffy asked.

She smiled at them. Faith looked as though she had been punched in the gut.

"Good-bye."

Buffy turned and walked out the door. She was free.

I don't know if any of you will recognize it, but the following paragraph-

"I didn't come here to take anything away from you, but I'm not gonna be your little lapdog, either. I came here to beat the other guy, to do right, however it works. I don't know if I can lead. But the real question is...can you follow?"

- is what Faith said to Buffy right before they kicked her out of the house in Empty Places.

Hope ya like, and don't forget to review!! :p

Toodles.

Anyanka of the Ocean


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